Automatic feeding device for copying machines

ABSTRACT

A registration device for use in an automatic feeding device for copying machines in which a magnetic registration member is provided adjacent the forward edge of a platen and an electromagnet is disposed parallel to the registration member in a cover. When no current is applied to the electromagnet, the registration member is in an upper position acting as a stop for original documents to be copied. When the electromagnet is activated, the registration member is urged downwardly against the force of a spring by opposing magnetic field to a position below the surface of the platen so that original documents can be extracted therefrom. If desired, the edge of the platen and the registration member can be made sloped.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for operating a registrationmember in an automatic feeding device for original documents utilized ina copying machine.

In an automatic feeding device for original documents in a copyingmachine, it has been general practice to carry out the registration oforiginal documents by abutting the tip end of the original documentagainst a registration member. When the original document is no longerneeded for copying, it is necessary that the registration member bemoved such as by retracting it to a standby position which is at aposition lower than the surface of the original document and at whichthe tip end of the original document will not strike thereagainst. Toimplement this, the prior art technique was to transfer a memberdirectly coupled to the registration member to a standby position with areciprocating device such as a solenoid. For this reason, space wasrequired for the reciprocating device thereby greatly restricting theoverall available space while the mechanism needed was complex andcostly.

Also, a large length was required for the registration member so thatall the edge surface of the original document in the widthwise directionwould properly abut the registration member. This is a greatdisadvantage both in spacial and constructional requirements.

Consequently, it is an object of the invention to provide an operatingdevice for a registration member in an automatic feeding device fororiginal documents which requires only a narrow space and which cantransfer documents uniformly and smoothly over all the lengthwisedirection thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This, as well as other objects of the invention, are met by aregistration device for an automatic feeding device for originaldocuments in a copying machine in which a magnetic registration memberis disposed adjacent an edge of a platen member. In a copying positionupon the upper surface of the platen, the leading edge of an originaldocument to be copied is in abutment with an upper stepped portion ofthe registration member. The registration member is formed with apermanent magnet extending longitudinally thereof. The registrationmember is movable between upper and lower positions defined by anadjacent guide means. In the upper position, the upper stepped portionof the registration member extends above the upper surface of the platenwhile in the lower position, the registration member is entirely belowthe upper surface of the platen. Spring means urges the registrationmember upwardly to the copying position. An electromagnet means islocated in an adjacent cover. The electromagnet means extendslongitudinally preferably by the same length as the registration member.When exited, the electromagnet means produces a magnetic field whichurges the registration member to the lower position below the surface ofthe platen so that original documents can be extracted therefrom.Preferably, the edge of the platen and hence the registration member andguide means are sloped so that light from the copying system can reachthe entire surface of the original document.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a general schematic view showing a copying machine constructedin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portions of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing a loweredportion of a registration member;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of an automaticfeeding device of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view used for explaining why an end surfaceof the platen is cut obliquely.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be describedreferring to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a general diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a copyingmachine of the invention in which a platen 2 is provided on the upperportion 1a of the copying machine body 1 and an automatic feeding device3 for original documents is mounted above the platen 2.

The automatic feeding device 3 includes a feeding belt 5 for theoriginal documents provided at a position in contact with the uppersurface (also, the running surface of the original document) 2a of theplaten 2. The feeding belt 5 is disposed within a platen cover 4 openingdownwardly. The feeding belt 5 operates to transfer an original documentA inserted through a take-in guide 6 along the upper surface 2a of theplaten. The copying position of the original document A is determined bya registration member 7 against which the feeding edge of the documentabuts. After the completion of the copying operation, the registrationmember 7 is moved to a standby position and the original document A isdelivered to a holding tray 8.

The registration member 7 is made of a permanent magnet having anelongated shape with an upper stepped portion 7a and is freely movablein the vertical direction between one end surface 2b of the platen 2 andthe upper end of a guide 9 attached to the upper portion of the copyingmachine body 1a. The registration member 7 is urged toward the copyingposition with the upper stepped portion 7a in contact with a lowerstepped portion 9a of the guide 9 by a spring 10. In this position, theupper surface 7b of the registration member 7 projects slightly upwardbeyond the upper surface 2a of the platen 2.

An electromagnet 11 is mounted on the platen cover 4 facing the uppersurface 7b of the registration member 7. The electromagnet 11 isenergized by a signal indicative of the delivery of an originaldocument. The magnetic field produced by the electromagnet 11 has thesame polarity as that of the registration member 7. In FIG. 1, referencenumeral 12 designates a lamp, 13 a reflecting optical system, and 14 aphotosensitive drum.

When the electromagnet is deenergized, the registration member 7 ismoved to the copying position by the spring 10 as shown in FIG. 2 inwhich the leading edge of the original document A transferred by theoriginal document feeding belt 5 abuts the upper surface of theregistration member 7 with positioning thereby effected. When theelectromagnet 11 is energized by a signal indicative of the delivery ofthe original document, a repulsive force is produced between theelectromagnet 11 and the registration member 7 whereby the registrationmember 7 is retracted downwardly against the force of the spring 10 to astandby position in abutment with a stop 15. In the standby position,the upper surface 7b of the registration member 7 is situated below theupper surface 2a of the platen so that it will not obstruct the transferof the original document A.

As described above, since the registration member 7 is moved to thestandby position by utilizing the repulsive force of the magnet, thereis no need of providing a reciprocating device such as solenoid and onlyan electromagnet 11 need be provided on the platen cover 4 whereby theconstruction of the feeding device is made simpler and the number ofparts required is also decreased. Thus, the registration member 4 isconstructed utilizing only a narrow space effectively.

Also, since the repulsive force of the magnet is uniform in thelongitudinal direction, a uniform pushing force is effected so that theregistration member 7 is positioned uniformly without being tilting withrespect to the longitudinal direction with only a small amount oftransfer movement. With this construction, the original document willnot be damaged because of the fact that the leading edge of the originalis engaged with the registration member 7 when it is delivered.

Mispositioning between the leading edge of the original document and theposition at which the exposure is commenced or terminated can beprevented by providing a sloped end surface 2b of the platen 2 as shownin FIG. 4. That is to say, if the end surface 2b of the platen isvertical, the light B may not reach the leading edge A' of the originaldocument as illustrated in FIG. 5. To prevent this, the end surface 2bof the platen may be cut obliquely. In the case of a sloped end surface2a, the guide 9 is disposed parallel to the end surface 2b of the platenand both of the end surfaces 7c and 7d of the registration member 7 aremade to be parallel to the guide 9 and the end surface 2b of the platen.

With the feeding device of the present invention constructed asdescribed above, only a registration member 7 and an electromagnet 11are required to be provided so that the construction is simpler, thenumber of parts is much reduced, and the device can be installedutilizing a narrower space effectively compared with the prior artconstruction.

Furthermore, since the registration member 7 is moved utilizing therepulsive force of a magnet, the registration member 7 can be moveduniformly over the longitudinal extend thereof and the registrationmember 7 can be moved downward uniformly from the running surface 2a ofthe original document with only a relatively small force so that theoriginal document A will not be damaged when it is delivered.

What is claimed is:
 1. A registration device for an automatic feedingdevice for original documents comprising: an elongated registrationmember disposed adjacent one edge of a platen member for supporting anoriginal document in a copying position, a leading edge of said originaldocument abutting an upper portion of said registration member in saidcopying position, said registration member comprising a permanent magnetextending substantially the length thereof; guide means disposed alongat least one edge of said registration member wherein said registrationmember is movable between an upper position with said upper portionextending above the upper edge of said platen and a lower position belowsaid upper surface of said platen; spring means for biasing saidregistration member toward said upper position; cover means disposedabove said platen and registration member; and electromagnet means, saidelectromagnet means extending substantially the length of saidregistration member, said electromagnet means producing a magnetic fieldin response to an exciting signal applied thereto for urging saidregistration member to move to a position below said upper surface ofsaid platen.
 2. The registration device of claim 1 wherein said end ofsaid platen is slanted and wherein said registration member and saidguide means are slanted to conform with the slant of said edge of saidplaten.
 3. The registration device of claim 1 wherein said excitingsignal is indicative of the delivery of an original document.
 4. Theregistration device of claim 1 wherein the magnetic field produced bysaid electromagnet means is uniform in the longitudinal direction ofsaid electromagnet means. .Iadd.
 5. A registration device for anautomatic feeding device for original documents comprising: aregistration member disposed adjacent one edge of a platen member forregistering an original document in a copying position with an edge ofan original document abutting an upper portion of said registrationmember, wherein said registration member is movable between an upperposition with said upper portion extending above the upper surface ofsaid platen and a lower position not extending above said upper surfaceof said platen; biasing means for biasing said registration membertoward said upper position; cover means disposable above said platen andsaid registration member; and magnetic means in said cover means forurging said registration member into said lower position. .Iaddend..Iadd.6. The registration device of claim 5 wherein said magnetic meansis an electromagnet producing a repulsive force on said registrationmember in response to an exciting signal applied thereto for overcomingsaid biasing means and moving said registration member below said uppersurface of said platen. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. The registration device ofclaim 5 wherein said cover means disposed within automatic originaldocument feeding apparatus and the lowering of said registration memberby said magnetic means is coordinated with delivery of an originaldocument. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. The registration device of claim 6 whereinsaid cover means disposed within automatic original document feedingapparatus and the lowering of said registration member by said magneticmeans is coordinated with delivery of an original document. .Iaddend..Iadd.9. The registration device of claim 5 further comprising guidemeans disposed along at least one edge of said registration member andcontaining movement of said registration member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. Theregistration device of claim 9 wherein one edge of said platen isslanted and said registration means and said guide means are alsoslanted to conform with the slant of the edge of said platen. .Iaddend..Iadd.11. The registration device of claim 9 wherein said biasing meanscomprises a spring. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A registration device for anautomatic feeding device for original documents comprising: aregistration member disposed adjacent one edge of a platen member forregistering an original document in a copying position with an edge ofan original document abutting an upper portion of said registrationmember, wherein said registration member is movable between an upperposition with said upper portion extending above the upper surface ofsaid platen and a lower position not extending above said upper surfaceof said platen; biasing means for biasing said registration membertoward said upper position; cover means disposable above said platen andsaid registration member; and means carried by said cover means forurging said registration member into said lower position. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. A registration device for an automatic feeding device fororiginal documents comprising: a registration member disposed adjacentone edge of a platen member for registering an original document in acopying position with an edge of an original document abutting an upperportion of said registration member, wherein said registration member ismovable between an upper position with said upper portion extendingabove the upper surface of said platen and a lower position notextending above said upper surface of said platen; biasing means forbiasing said registration member toward said upper position; cover meansdisposable above said platen and said registration member; and means insaid cover means not contacting said registration member for urging saidregistration member into said lower position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. Aregistration device for an automatic feeding device for originaldocuments comprising: a registration member disposed adjacent one edgeof a platen member for registering an original document in a copyingposition with an edge of an original document abutting an upper portionof said registration member, wherein said registration member is movablebetween an upper position with said upper portion extending above theupper surface of said platen and a lower position not extending abovesaid upper surface of said platen; biasing means for biasing saidregistration member toward said upper position; cover means disposableabove said platen and said registration member; and electronic means insaid cover means actuated by an external force for urging saidregistration member into said lower position. .Iaddend.